Portable washing, sterilizing, and drying machine



May 22, 1956 R. R. TORRENT ET AL PORTABLE WASHING, STERILIZING, AND DRYING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 22, 1956 R. R. TORRENT ETAL 2,745,279

PORTABLE WASHING, STERILIZING, AND DRYING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #70 lavaaary faute! ATTORNY PoRrABLE wAsrnNG', v-s'ranrmzmgy` DRYING MAcmNE Ralph vRodriquez Torrent, .Washingtom D.A C., and Chester NHusman, Orlando, and Eugene K. Dyson, Gainesviue, F1a.

Application May 22, 1953,Serial NoL356,-724

2 Claimsfv ((1684-26) This invention relates to a portable clothing. washing,..

sterilizing and drying machine.

The invention is more particularly concernedwith. a. clothing washing, sterilizing and drying machine ywhich `1s.

embodied in a small relatively light casing intheform of a traveling case whereby it is readily adapted to.be. carried with other luggage in the course of `travelin.

business pursuits or on trips or vacations.

While it is recognized Vthat the .washngigsterilizing and drying of clothingpresents no particularproblem in the home, where in most instances provision is made for such'purpose vin-the form ofY standard' equipment,i it4v is, however, recognized that much dii'culty is experienced by transients,rtraveling people and vacationers alsopersons livingV in small or eiciencyapartmentsg" wherein conditions are such that clothing washing andedrying facilities Vare not readily available. Particularly-isfsthis true with the case of traveling parents who have young children and it is known, require a relatively large supply of clean sterile diapers always on hand.

lt is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a portable washing, sterilizing and drying machine, which, while being substantially compact, embodies all of the necessary mechanical structure required for the thorough washing, sterilizing and drying of clothing.

Recognizing the advantage of a portable washing, sterilizing and drying machine under the above noted conditions, it is apparent that such machine in use requires a clean water supply as well as a place for the discharge of the dirty water from the machine.

lt is accordingly a further object of the invention to provide a portable washing, sterilizing and drying machine which is adapted for positioning on the top of a toilet flush tank and which embodies conduit connections for a suitable hose adapted to extend from a water faucet of a lavatory, usually disposed adjacent a toilet for the supply of clean water and a hose adapted to extend beneath the toilet seat for discharge of dirty water from the machine into the toilet bowl.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, ten in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved portable washing, sterilizing and drying machine in accordance with a preferred structure embodiment thereof, with the lid omitted.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view as observed in the planes of the irregular line 2-2 on Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine with the lid closed and on a substantially reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing the machine in an operative position on the top of a toilet tank.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a dirty water discharge nozzle adapted to extend into a toilet bowl.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental sectional view of a toilet bowl ICC 2 j. and seat showing vthe discharger nozzlelinfoperative Adischarge position within the bowh'and beneath the seat."

Referring now Y in .detail `)to the drawings., the .carrying case is-,desig'nated at 10 and which includes a main bodyV 11 anda lid 12.` The body' 11 is of generally rectangular form andmay be of approximate dimensions of `16' long, 8" wide and l0" high andit is preferably. formedof plastic ,or a light weight metaL'such as aluminum.

The lid y12.'is hinged 'to the .bodyfll 'as at.13 and is latchedto the top of the body when closed vby three pressure latches 14, one at each nend and 'one .at the front side' as is clearlyindicated on the drawings,

The lid 12 isV further provided withla carnyinghandle.

15 uwhich when not in use recedes into a depression 16.

in -the-topwall'of the lid and as clearlyindicated in Fig'., 3."

A tub "16 is disposed within the casing body 11 adjacent one end lthereof and which' is` -of a capacity of from 1 to 2 gallons of water,and which'is alsoconstructed bf plastic orother light weight metallic. material.'

Disposed within the tub .in co-axial relation thereto, is4 an agitator 17 Yconsisting of -four blades or wings 18 inright angularly disposed relation and 'eachprovidedwith a pluralityof apertures 19.

The agitator 17 *is suitably 4secured to a shaft 20 `Whose lower end is'disposed within a gear box 21 which is,supf.

ported "on the bottom .wall 'of the .casing bodyl 11 '.by means vof suitable legs' 22`."'

` Disposed'horizontally'within'the casing body 11'at' theA end thereof opposite the tub 16 isi'achrome' plated 'hard ware cloth member 23 which provides a drying compartment 24 between the same and the lid 12.

Disposed immediately beneath the cloth 23 in parallel relation therewith is a protected heating element 25.

Disposed beneath the heating element 25 is a fan 26, operable by a motor 27 whose armature shaft 28 extends into the gear box 21. The gear box 21 is provided with multiple reduction gears and transmission gears (not shown) which aord a clockwise and counterclockwise motion to the agitator 17.

An ultra-violet tube 29 is installed underneath the lid 12 above the drying compartment 24 and may be controlled by a switch which turns it otf when the lid is raised so as to protect the eyes of the operator.

The casing body 11, at one end thereof, and adjacent the bottom wall is provided with a recess opening outwardly as at 30.

A switch 31 is disposed within said recess for controlling the heater element 25 and the ultra-Violet tube 29. A second switch 32 is disposed within said recess for controlling the motor 27.

Below the switches 31 and 32 is a knob 33 for controlling the clutch for the agitator 17.

A water inlet pipe 34 is disposed within the casing body 11 and has its inner end communicating with the tub 16 as indicated at 35. The outer end of the inlet pipe is provided with a hose coupling 36 of any well known type also disposed within the recess 30 and it will be seen that the switches 31 and 32, knob 33 and hose connection 36 are all accessible from the corresponding end of the casing while being within the general plane of the end wall.

The tub 16 is provided with a drain pipe 37 whose free end embodies a hose connection 38 of any well known type disposed within an externally accessible recess 39 in the opposite end wall of the casing body 11.

The drain pipe 37 is provided with a valve 40 which is controllable by a knob 40', also disposed within recess 39.

An overliow pipe 41 extends from adjacent the top of tub 16 into communication with the drain pipe 37. The casing body 11 is preferably provided with axially ad- Ptented May 22, 1956 instable suction cups 42 for leveling and rigidly supporting the casing on the lid L of a ush tank T of a toilet incoupling 38. The opposite end of hose 44 is provided with a metallic water discharge nozzle 45 which, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is curved in edge view for hooking over the n'rn of the toilet bowl B beneath the seat Sand which, in face view, ares outwardly into flat form, whereby to distribute the discharged water for minimizing noise Within the bowl and for the' yeffective and sanitarydisposal of the dirty Water from the tub.

From the above disclosure it should be appreciated that a portable clothing washing, sterilizing and drying machine is provided which is readily transportable with other luggage and which is capable of ready disposition for operation, and which furthermore, is of a construction whereby it is highly eliieient in the washing, sterilizing and drying of clothing.

While we have disclosed our invention in accordance withV a single specic structural embodiment thereof, it isV to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit Vof the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

placed upon the toprof the.A

What we claim, and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A portable, clothing washing, sterilizing and drying machine, comprising a casing, a tub disposed within the casing adjacent one end thereof, a drying compartment within the casing adjacent theopposite end thereof having a perforate bottom wall, an elongated transmission gear box disposed within the casing beneath said tub and said drying compartment and supported on the bottom wall of the casing, a rotatable shaft extending vertically from one end of said transmission gear box and axially within said tub, an agitator disposed within said tub and secured to said shaft, a motor supported within said casing beneath said drying compartment and having a,V vertical armature shaft extending into the other end of said transmission gear boX, whereby said agitator is rotated by the motor, and a fan supported by the motor in a position` beneath said perforate bottom Wall of thev drying compartment.

2. The structure according to claim 1, together with water inlet and drain pipes supported Within the casing and communicating with the tub, a recess in each end wall of the casing in which the outer end of a respective pipe is disposed, and the outer ends of the pipes being provided with hose connections.

References Cited inthe le of this patent .i l UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,736,640

Oakes Feb. 21, 1950 

